Todays Tiles on Thursday...

Told you I'd had a really good play with the Todays Tiles set.... and I have lots more to come! Though (somewhat stupidly!) I haven't had actually had a chance to play with the other sets that I actually ordered!

So a bookmark for you today... which I made to thank the owner of the Today's Tiles set for letting me play! So I did select the colours especially for her... as that is so easy to do with this set...

Needless to say... she rather liked it!!

And so did I... so I quickly made one for myself... but I forgot to stamp the 2nd layer... so guess who needs to borrow the set again... lol... so something for another day...

So Night of Navy with Bermuda Bay over n Whisper White card with the words READ ME die cut (using the new Playful Alphabets dies) from Bermuda Bay and Whisper White - the white letters forming shadow layers underneath the Bermuda Bay letters... so as to give greater definition...

Bermuda Bay Stampin Blends coloured 3/8" Metallic Edge White ribbon ... which has come a bit of a go to ribbon nowadays... as I can colour it anything I need at the time...

Wednesday WOW & What's New

This is a gifts for you... and a gifts for me... kind of post!!

So What's New? A couple of "limited time availability" products for you... so giving something for every level of crafter... available May 2019...

First up... a new "product medley"... and I hope this is the first of many of these "medleys"... called Everything is Rosy (think a posy of flowers and Rose Gold!!!) 

A STUNNING co-ordinating kit of product shipped in a box including a stamp set, co-ordinating dies, patterned paper, ribbon, die-cuts, Foil Sheets and Shimmer Paint. Lots included for endless creative opportunities... Available May 2019 only...

With a very popular ROSE GOLD shine...  All for just £74. But beware this is so beautiful that I don't think supplies will last the whole month!

Want to see more... well just click here ( or on the icon below) to load up the product video... and I will be back with some samples and more information nearer the time... 

Secondly... and many of you have been asking for this for a very long time... so Stampin' Up! are trialling an internationally available Paper Pumpkin kit... for which I am beyond excited... called Hugs from Shelli... 

Available from 15th May 2019. All for just £20... which I think is incredible value! So I know you won't be disappointed... and again it is expected that this will move out fast...

This kit from Paper Pumpkin includes the following:

• An exclusive stamp set not available anywhere else
• One Classic Stampin’ Spot® from our Classic ink collection
• Paper and crafting materials to create 12 cards (3 cards of 4 unique designs)
• 12 exclusive, coordinating envelopes
• Adhesives and embellishments for all 12 cards

Coordinating Stampin’ Up! colours: Crumb Cake, Early Espresso, Old Olive, Petal Pink, Pool Party, Pretty Peacock, Soft Suede, and Very Vanilla

This kit is an elegant, vintage-themed kit which Shelli, herself, helped conceptualise and design from start to finish. Shelli describes the kit as “A touch of earthy and elegant spring with lots of layers and texture.”

Want to see more... again click here (or on the icon below) to see a video...

By the way...  for those of you that don't know... Paper Pumpkin kits are available in the US on a monthly subscription basis... so if this kit is successful we hope that it may develop the same way in Europe! Fingers crossed... 

And my WOW for today! 

Well I'd like to share the gifts I received last Friday night prior to the On Stage event held by Stampin' Up! for Silver Elite+ level demos...  

Such beautiful hand made creations and not just in paper! I absolutely love them all and consider myself well and truly spoilt...

Thank you Julie, Julie and Anne... 

And I had to laugh...as... if we had remembered to photo the 4 mugs together ... we would had the new AJJA group!! (Eat your heart out ABBA!)

Beautiful Gifts...

Quick share of the lovely gifts given to me by my fellow team members, Julie, Julie and Sharon... 

But before I start... the Online Extravaganza sale event is coming this week! Deals start 23 November (Black Friday) through 28 November. Check back tomorrow, 20 November for more details.

We gift these to each other just before the Stampin Up Centrestage event (held for leader demos who reach a certain title and above) on the Friday night before the all day On Stage event... #feelingspecial

Team Treats for On Stage 2018

So all good demonstrators like to treat their friends to something sweet in lovely packaging!!! And our team always love to rise to the challenge when we go to the Stampin Up On Stage events...

Most of us meet up on the Saturday night for a meal together... so I made 28 of these Chocodipper treat holders... yup... took a while!!! But our ladies are all worth it!!

I will be back another day with the directions... as it is Thursday night and I am madly getting blog posts on to cover all the days I am away!!

And this is what is inside... a small but perfectly formed chocolate "drop" with breadsticks to get it out!! For my chocoholic demo friends!!!

Love that I could replace the brightly coloured film wrap lid with a Stitched Shapes circle!! Perfect size... I could not have planned it better!! Though luckily I did remember to add a small tab (1/2" circle) at the front so that we can rip the lid off in the same fashion!!

Stampin Up products used

Papers - Twinkle Twinkle

Stamps - Picture Perfect Birthday, Label Me Pretty

Dies - Stitched Shapes

Punch - Pretty Label

More Cash Holders...

More Cash or Treat holders for you... more details shared here...

With a sideways shot so you can see the double decker holder effect! Lot more secure this way...

And here's a shot just to show you a couple of different ribbon options... the right hand one being Mint Macaron inked Silver edged White ribbon... the white version being shown here...

Monday Money & Gift Holder...

I needed to design a little holder to display both a little treat and some petrol money ... to give to my lovely friends & family giving me a taxi service during my treatment...

Their treat being my superstar product "sleep-saving-and-enducing" This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray... (oh actually... as I happen to have them... click here to get £10 off purchases over £40 at This Works - or click here to get 20% off an order over £20) I couldn't have been without this and the Deep Sleep Breathe In for the last 6 months or so... miracle workers...

And I am rather pleased with this holder... in fact so much so... that it will become my go to packaging for gifting money to all the teenagers this Christmas... although some are now older than teenagers... but they still always ask for cash!

So I will be back at some point with another more christmassy version... and with the tutorial too...

Though one little tip for you... I cut round the punched Accented Blooms greeting... cutting off the surrounding white area... which then gave me enough of a border when the greeting was stuck to a punched Pool Party mat...

Stampin Up Products used

Stamps - Accented Blooms

Punch - Tailored Tag

Papers - Frosted Floral

Ribbon - Silver 3/8" Metallic Edge

Card - Tranquil Tide, Pool Party

Ink - Tranquil Tide

3D Thursday - Chocolate in a Suitcase!

Just sharing a lovely project made for me by fellow team member Nic Baker...

Isn't this gorgeous... using the Petal Passion papers and Petal Palette stamps... papers only available for another week (or while supplies last if sooner!) Petal Palette carries over... but not as the stamp & die bundle with that 10% off if you order before 31st May....

Nic is a real love... she always makes me and gifts me a treat when we see each other at the 6 monthly Stampin' Up! On Stage events... her way of saying thanks for all the projects and "stuff" I share on here... I know she finds some it of it useful! Love that my shares inspire others!

Again thanks Nic... simply stunning... and the chocolate was rather yummy too!!!

Centre Stage Gifts

Quick share of gifts made for my friends, team mates and Centre Stage buddies Julie and Sharon for last Friday night down in Telford... though, due to traffic and a very long journey... we arrived at the hotel so late... that we had to wait till after the event to open them this time... 

And what a dilemma... devour the pages of the new catalogue or open the gifts first... what's a demo to do !!!

So a Gift Bag Punch Board medium sided bag using the Foil Frenzy papers... cut 6" high...so 2 from a piece of these 12x12 "more like card than paper so perfect for gift bags" papers... directions as per this bag here... standing about 4 3/4" tall...

Decorated with Stitched Shapes die cut squares with Crafting Forever greetings and hand cut Perennial Birthday flowers on the back and bag...

Along with a stamped Stampin Up logo on a stitched square on the front... care of a retired stamp set....

And then came the "oh, why is this so difficult bit"... as I laminated the stitched squares for the front and back so as to prolong the life of my labels... and then spent well over an hour searching and trying all sorts of glues to stick the laminated squares on....! Got there in the end though... Practical but nicely covering up the other logo on the device!

The gift was a practical and handy little one... a little charger to recharge our phones mid On Stage event on the Saturday... as we demos always take so many photos of team mates, display boards and presentation screens... that the phones don't usually make it through to the end of the day!!

But more of all that on another day...

And suffice to say I received really beautiful gifts from Julie and Sharon... but again more of that on another day...

A lovely gift...

Thought I would share a gift I received from a fellow demo at the last Stampin Up! On Stage event...

A beautiful seasonal stitched bag from the lovely Julie Wade... who has just started to add sewing to her other talents... I really love this bag Julie... and so has everyone else that has caught sight of it... as I am putting it to great use... so thanks again...

Though I had to quickly grab the Hearts Come Home stamp set and the Staz On ink to add a personal touch with an added greeting myself...

And this has now inspired me to find the sewing machine after Christmas and start to create something using fabric for myself...

Milestone Moments Tag & a Special Card/Mini Book...

First off... a super quick tag for you! Care of Milestone Moments with its classically simple & understated font...

This may count as my simplest "project" ever... but one I know the recipient will be excited and inspired by!!  So Happy Birthday Nicky... friend, neighbour, blog subscriber and customer! And thanks for the great party to celebrate your FIFTIETH last night!

And a laugh for you... Nicky borrowed my Large Number dies to finish her party decorations off the other day... but she hasn't returned them yet!! So when I came to finish off her card and tag... I came a bit unstuck!! Thank goodness I had Milestone Moments for Plan B for the tag...

And I was already to design a new card fold especially for Nicky... but I needed the numbers to decorate... so Plan B was to find "one I made earlier that I could add FIFTIETH to a few times"... So here you go... the card that thinks it is a Mini Album... perfect for Nicky to add some special photos from her party next week...

I think it is about time I made some more of these... still one of my favourite projects from times gone by... click here for the Flip n Fold Album Tutorial for it that I published earlier

And I hope you enjoy the present Nicky... though I do wish I had taken a photo of the gift (and the card!) before I wrapped it all up...

Watercolor Wishes Kit & THE Retiring List

I thought it was about time I used one of the Stampin' Up! card kits... and I am so glad I did... as I can highly recommend this kit.... this Watercolor Wishes kit is super value... it makes a lovely selection of 20 cards... nice easy few hours making a great selection of cards... and it is a great make at home OR gift option as everything you need is in the box... but more on all that later...

But before I start sharing all the cards... please do not forget that the Retiring List posts at 8pm UK time this Monday night, 10th April... There will be reduced items... There will be quick stock-outs... so please do not delay to get your must have products  - and/or bargains! Supplies only whilst stocks last.

So go quickly and place an online order as then you will be able to order what you see & want and know you will get it! It will ship direct to you.  I will refund the postage in full for orders over £35 if you have entered the month's Host/Stampin Rewards code JU9WH4MV. But do check you can see my name at the top right hand side of the screen!

For those of you local and able to collect ... you can email me and pay via credit card, Paypal, bank account for an order I will place Tuesday 11th April 7pm. Though it is likely that some items you want will already have gone out of stock. So I urge you instead... to go quickly and place an online order as detailed above.

OK back to the cards & kit... So here are the rest of the 20 cards in the kit... 

Well 19 to be precise... as one was kept by a new friend at a new crafty club I go to who made one and gave it to her mother for Mother's Day... and the feedback... well her Mum cried! Shame I didn't think to take a quick photo at the time...as the daughter was very happy with her make too!

Aw... the power of a handmade card... after 14 years of doing this... I definitely sometimes forget that!

So what is in the kit... everything you need to complete all 20 cards... including the fabulous greeting stamps which are yours for ever...and even a Tombow All Purpose glue (not mentioned as included!) in my box... The only extra thing I would recommend (though certainly not essential) are some Glue Dots too... makes life a lot easier to stick the embellishments...

Here is the full kit list...

The giftable Watercolor Wishes Card Kit includes preprinted cards for the perfect artistic look without the mess. Includes supplies for 20 unique cards in 3 sizes and an exclusive stamp set. Make one when you need it, or make them all and use them later. Makes 20 unique cards. Folded card sizes: 4" x 4", 3-1/2" x 5", 4-1/4" x 5-1/2" (10.2 x 10.2 cm, 8.9 x 12.7 cm, 10.8 x 14 cm). Instructions included.

You provide the adhesive; we’ll provide the rest, including the stamp set, clear stamp block, and ink.

* 20 cards total
* Folded card sizes: 4" x 4", 3-1/2" x 5", 4-1/4" x 5-1/2" (10.2 x 10.2 cm, 8.9 x 12.7 cm, 10.8 x 14 cm)
* 12-piece photopolymer stamp set
* 20 card bases
* Die-cut accents
* Cardstock flag stickers
* Night of Navy and Watermelon Wonder Classic Stampin’ Spots
* Washi tape
* Giftable Kraft box
* 50 sequins
* Wood die cuts
* Stampin’ Dimensionals
*Acrylic stamp block

And here are all 20 cards in the somewhat more professional Stampin' Up! picture... If you look really closely... you may spot that I changed a few details... just 'cos I could!

So  - even for you seasoned papercrafters - buy this kit if you want some quick and easy cards to make when you are spending time somewhere and just need a grab pack to go! 

Number of Years Sneak Peek - 50 already!?

I thought it was high time I opened up my pre-order box...

And shared a make using my favourite stamp set in the Spring Summer catalogue - Number of Years -  coming your way soon...only about 8 sleeps to go!

But I like to start off really simple after Christmas...

Which is mainly due to the fact that I pack everything away from my dining room/classroom! Which means that I can't actually find anything without spending hours searching and unpacking!!

So this was a simple tag & wrap in a rush for my brother before he packed his suitcase to go back to the States... He was blown away... talk about a man in denial about reaching the great 50... LOL!

Now as most things I used are not yet available (unless you are a demonstrator!) - a few notes!

The numbers in this Number of Years set are amazing... I think the largest I have ever possessed... standing about 2" high...with dies to match!!! Yippee! And you have lots of other words and TH's, NDs etc - a gorgeous flower/leaves stamps combi - and the cool banner too. Trust me these are must haves and keepers in your crafting arsenal!!

Probably too subtle to see in the photos... but... I also used the clear Wink of Stella brush to add some sparkle... coming your way very soon... Also a must have and a keeper in your stash!!

The tag is die cut using the Project Life Cards & Labels die set... a set that is definitely not just for Project Life and scrapbooking...

And the stitching around the numbers and the tag is faux stitching - care of my hand and my Project Life pen